Cachaca Santa Terezinha has been produced in Marechal Floriano, Espirito Santo since 1943. It is a young white Cachaca with minimal ageing. The brand work with Brasillian artists to create their distinctive labelling and packaging.

It is aged in Cerejeira casks, for 6 months. Cerejeira is a wood Native to Brasil. Which gives the Cachaca its distinictive character.To produce Santa Terezinha a 50/50 mix of boiled sugar-cane “broth” and cold broth is fermented for 4 to 5 days with toasted bagasse and a handful of corn-flour. Whilst this broth is fermenting a fire is set up in the same room where orange or tangerine leaves are burned.

The fermented broth is transferred into metal tanks for a further 5 days to develop into a “mash”. It is then fed into the water-cooled copper still and the resulting distillate is the Santa Terezinha Cachaca Arte. Once the Cachaca is distiled it is aged in the Cerejeira wood for 6 months.

Presentation wise Cachaca Santa Terezinha Arte is very “Brasillian” bright colours – reds, yellows and greens. Their labels are created by Brasillian artists such as Helio Coelho and Haroldo Busotti. You will note from the photos that the label states “Serie Artes”. Cachaca Santa Terezinha is bottled at 43% ABV the producer states that the Cachaca works well with food such as Chicken and Fish dishes.

I apologise for using information direct from the producer. Its not my usual style but it is difficult finding any information written in English. I cannot find anything which will reliably translate Portuguese in a satisfactory manner.

In the glass Cachaca Santa Terezinha Arte is very slightly off-white – slightly lighter than white wine even but there is a tinge of colour.

Nosed this cachaca is quite vegetal and grassy. Freshly mowed fields, fresh sugar cane. This reminds me more of the white Cachaca’s I have tried in the past. Rather than some of the more aged Cachaca’s I have more recently.

It’s fresh and nicely defined though it doesn’t smell quite as “boozy” or as “industrial” as some of the brands found in the UK. There is a nice perfumed/flowery note – again coming from the native wood which I am really growing accustomed to and really growing to like!

It’s quite sweet on the nose but quite potent nonetheless.

Sipped it is surprisingly complex and goes down nicely. It’s surprisingly smooth and quite easy-going. The initial burst is quite spicy – perfumed wood, ginger, notes of vanilla and a nice sweet/sour hit at the back of the throat.

It shows its relative youth in the mid palate and finish which whilst not short – fades quite quickly to little more than a residual burn.

Again this is a very approachable and easy to drink spririt. It works very nicely with lemonade or even soda water. Cola is perhaps not a good option but its still quite a tasty “vegetal” take on a “rum” and cola.

A Caiprinha is perhaps the best use for this Cachaca. As a sipper it is good but just comes up short overall. You would like to savour it a bit more in the mouth but much of the intiial complex burst of grassy notes, vanilla and the perfumed wood doesn’t last long enough, to really enjoy them. An aged Santa Terezinha? I’d be keen to try that and there are other Cachaca’s in their range.

I notice a slight difference between this and the Cachaca Fuzue and Mandaguahy. The wood seems to be to be a touch lighter. Imparting a little less overall, in terms of  flavour. Having said that, it could be due to the time in the cask as well. This is something I will learn over time. This forage into Cachaca is very much a learning curve. One which I am happy enough to share with you all but please take my notes with a pinch of salt!

I enjoyed this one overall but its perhaps best used as a mixer.